Farming and Mining the Word of God

By Hubert Brooke

A Farmer of the Word

In the next place, there is the agricultural toil of the farmer, who confines his attention to one clearly defined and measured tract of land, and labors on that to produce the necessaries of life in food and clothing. In such a way the student of the Word will devote himself to a single book out of many, and spend much careful toil upon that. Laboring thereon with plough and harrow, casting in the seed, fertilizing the soil, entreating the rain and sun from heaven in their needful proportions, he will in due time draw therefrom personal nourishment for himself and rich supply for the needs of others (Psalms 126:5,6).

A Miner of the Word

Once more; through a little opening in the surface of the ground, the miner descends for his work into the bowels of the earth. Toiling there out of sight, and tracking out rich veins of ore, he brings up the hidden treasures of the primeval rocks, enriching the owner with wealth of which the surface alone gave no token whatever. Thus may the student fasten upon some single text, some keyword, some central topic; and, digging down through that into the hidden treasures of the Word, will light upon wondrous depths of meaning, marvelous riches stored up in bygone ages for God’s children, and ready for their enriching and comforting and rejoicing now.